Natural history of celiac disease-associated antibodies and progression to overt disease in children at increased genetic risk

Background: Celiac disease is a lifelong, gluten-sensitive, autoimmune-mediated chronic enteropathy, tightly associated with risk alleles at the HLA class II genes. Aims: This study was carried out as a part of the population-based Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Project. The first aim was to study the natural history of celiac disease-associated antibodies before the diagnosis of celiac disease was made. The second aim was to describe when and in which order celiac disease-associated and type 1 diabetes-associated antibodies appeared in children with genetic risk for both diseases. Subjects and Methods: Antibodies against tissue transglutaminase (TGA) and other celiac disease-associated antibodies were measured in serum samples collected at 3- to 12-month intervals of children at genetic risk for celiac disease who participated in the DIPP project. Celiac disease was confirmed by duodenal biopsy. Type 1 diabetes-associated antibodies were measured in all samples that had been collected. Overt disease was diagnosed according to World Health Organization criteria. Follow-up continued until a diagnosis of type 1 diabetes or until the end of a defined follow-up period. Results: TGA appeared in children at genetic risk for celiac disease only after the first year of life, but anti-gliadin antibodies often emerged significantly earlier, at age 6 months. The data show that spontaneous disappearance of celiac disease-associated antibodies, transient or persisting, is a common phenomenon, at least in prepubertal children. In children with genetic susceptibility to type 1 diabetes and celiac disease, celiac disease-associated antibodies usually develop earlier than the type 1 diabetes-associated antibodies. Conclusions: The transient nature of celiac disease-associated antibodies emphasizes the significance of establishing seropositivity repeatedly in screening detected celiac disease before gastroscopy and duodenal biopsy are considered and emphasized the importance of duodenal biopsy for diagnosing celiac disease.Siirretty Doriast

Representation of gender and sexual orientation in the Finnish EFL textbook series Insights

Tutkielman aiheena on sukupuoli, seksuaalisuus ja perhemuodot Otavan Insights - nimisessä lukion englannin oppikirjasarjassa. Käytössä oleva opetussuunnitelma ja tasa-arvolaki velvoittavat opettajia sukupuolisensitiiviseen kasvatukseen ja kieltävät syrjinnän mm. seksuaalisen suuntautumisen ja sukupuoli-identiteetin perusteella. Vieraiden kielten opetuksen pitäisi ohjata opiskelijoita pohtimaan asenteiden ja arvojen merkitystä sekä vahvistaa sukupuolten välistä tasa-arvoa kannustamalla opiskelijoita ennakkoluulottomuuteen. Lisäksi oppikirjojen sisältö voi vaikuttaa opiskelijoiden ajattelutapoihin, asenteisiin, ja ammatinvalintoihin. Tämän takia oppikirjatutkimus antaa tärkeää tietoa eri sukupuolten ja seksuaalivähemmistöjen näkyvyydestä oppikirjoissa. Tutkimuksessa käytetään sekä kvantitatiivisia että kvalitatiivisia menetelmiä. Laadullisten aineistojen analysoinnissa on käytetty diskurssianalyysiä. Tutkimuksen tavoitteena on selvittää, mitä sukupuolia, seksuaalisia suuntauksia ja perhemuotoja on edustettuina sarjan pääteksteissä, kuvissa ja valikoiduissa tehtävissä. Lisäksi tarkoituksena on selvittää, millainen on aineistossa useimmin esiintyvien ammattiryhmien sisäinen sukupuolijakauma. Tutkimuksen määrällinen aineisto koostuu Insights -sarjan 65 päätekstistä, 59 lämmittelytehtävästä ja 1691 kuvasta. Laadullisen tutkimuksen aineisto koostuu muutamasta päätekstistä, kuvasta ja 37 tietolaatikosta, jotka kuvailevat päätekstien kirjoittajia. Määrällisen tutkimuksen mukaan miespuolisten hahmojen lukumäärä analysoiduissa teksteissä ja kuvissa on naispuolisten hahmojen lukumäärää suurempi. Naisten ja miesten lisäksi teksteissä ei esiinny muiden sukupuolten edustajia. Seksuaalivähemmistöistä homoseksuaalit ja LGBT -yhteisö mainitaan, mutta heteroseksuaalisia hahmoja on sarjassa huomattavasti enemmän. Sarjassa esiintyy myös huomattavasti enemmän ydinperheitä verrattuna muihin perhemuotoihin. Tutkimuksen tulosten perusteella voidaan sanoa, että Insights -sarjan osat 1–8 ovat päätekstien ja kuvitusten puolesta jokseenkin miesvaltaisia ja heteronormatiivisia, mutta esimerkiksi naisten asemaan ja seksuaalivähemmistöjen näkyvyyteen on selkeästi pyritty kiinnittämään huomiota nostamalla esille niihin liittyviä teemoja kirjan sisällöissä

Fostering the knowledge-creating culture of virtual communities: an action research study

Siirretty Doriast

Carbon Formation in the Reforming of Simulated Biomass Gasification Gas on Nickel and Rhodium Catalysts

Biomass gasification gas contains hydrocarbons that must be converted to CO and H2 prior to the utilization of the gas in a synthesis unit. Autothermal or steam reforming operating with a nickel or noble metal catalyst is a feasible option to treat the gas, but the harsh reaction conditions may lead to the formation of solid carbon. This study discusses the effects of pressure, time-on-stream, and ethylene content on the carbon formation on nickel and rhodium catalysts. The experiments were carried out with laboratory-scale equipment using reaction conditions that were closely simulated after a pilot-scale biomass gasifier. The results indicated that ethylene content above 20,000 vol-ppm and the increased pressure would increase the carbon formation, although there were differences between the rhodium and nickel catalysts. However, carbon formation was significantly more pronounced on the nickel catalyst when the reaction time was increased from 5 h to 144 h. The type of carbon was found to be primarily encapsulating and graphitic. The formation of whisker carbons (also known as carbon nanotubes) was not observed, which is consistent with the literature as the feed gas contained H2S. It was concluded that utilizing a noble metal catalyst as the front layer of the catalyst bed could lower the risk for carbon formation sufficiently to provide stable long-term operation

Activated Carbons for Syngas Desulfurization:Evaluating Approaches for Enhancing Low-Temperature H₂S Oxidation Rate

Scientific paper based on the research work of VTT and, specifically, on the syngas desulfurization treatment with activated carbons. In BioSFerA, VTT is in charge of the gasification process of the selected feedstocks and its scale-up into a pilot process, where the gasification and fermentation units are integrated

Association of Human Bocavirus 1 Infection with Respiratory Disease in Childhood Follow-up Study, Finland

Since its discovery in 2005, human bocavirus type 1 has often been found in the upper airways of young children with respiratory disease. But is this virus the cause of the respiratory disease or just an innocent bystander? A unique study in Finland, which examined follow-up blood samples of 109 healthy children with no underlying illness starting at birth and until they were 13 years of age, found that acute bocavirus infection resulted in respiratory disease. All children had been infected by age 6. Most retained their antibodies to this virus; some lost them. Children who were later re-exposed to bocavirus did not get sick from this virus. Thus, human bocavirus type 1 is a major cause of respiratory disease in childhood

Reduced beta-cell function in early preclinical type 1 diabetes

Objective: We aimed to characterize insulin responses to i.v. glucose during the preclinical period of type 1 diabetes starting from the emergence of islet autoimmunity. Design and methods: A large population-based cohort of children with HLA-conferred susceptibility to type 1 diabetes was observed from birth. During regular follow-up visits islet autoantibodies were analysed. We compared markers of glucose metabolism in sequential intravenous glucose tolerance tests between 210 children who were positive for multiple (>= 2) islet autoantibodies and progressed to type 1 diabetes (progressors) and 192 children testing positive for classical islet-cell antibodies only and remained healthy (non-progressors). Results: In the progressors, the first phase insulin response (FPIR) was decreased as early as 4-6 years before the diagnosis when compared to the non-progressors (P=0.001). The difference in FPIR between the progressors and non-progressors was significant (P Conclusions: FPIR is decreased several years before the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes, implying an intrinsic defect in beta-cell mass and/or function.Peer reviewe